October 1 update. Our PDGM and ICD-10 tools now use the FY2027 code set: 190 codes added, 30 deleted, and no existing code changed clinical group.
See what changedOASIS, PDGM coding, homebound status, visit frequencies and assistant visits, explained for the nurses and therapists who do the work.
These guides are for the nurses, therapists, coders and QA reviewers who document home health care every day. They cover OASIS items and timing, homebound status, frequency orders, which order an assistant works under, and what changed in the latest code set.
Each guide points to the OASIS manual section, CMS rule or code table it is based on, so you can check it against the source. Many pair with a free tool on this site that does the lookup for you.
A home health order names a service, not a licence. A PTA visit is physical therapy, a COTA visit is occupational therapy, an LPN visit is skilled nursing.
What the start of care date is, how it differs from the referral date, the ordered date and the assessment date, and which clock each OASIS date starts.
How to decide and document homebound status for Medicare home health: both criteria, the absences CMS allows, six worked cases, and a chart note that holds up.
What a resumption of care is, which inpatient stays trigger one, the 2-calendar-day OASIS window, who may do the visit, and how a ROC meets the 60-day period.
Issue 1 of the home health regs digest: the October 1 grouper and ICD-10 update, the HHVBP payment report, the star ratings refresh, and GG0170R explained.
CMS grouper v07.2.26 adds 190 ICD-10-CM codes and drops 30 on October 1, 2026. No existing code changes clinical group. The codes home health coders must swap.
CMS says a terminal or chronic diagnosis does not disqualify skilled need under the home health benefit. What the rule states, and what still gates eligibility.
A clinician's guide to home health visit frequency notation. Learn what 3W2 2W4 means, how to calculate total visits, and what Medicare expects.
CMS proposed cutting the OASIS submission window from 4.5 months to 45 days. What changes, when it starts, and how to shorten your QA cycle now.
CMS proposed re-deriving PDGM functional points for CY 2027. The eight OASIS items that set your functional level, and the quirk most agencies miss.
OASIS-E2 went live April 1, 2026. CMS issued 14 new clarifications in the April Q&A — here's the checklist drawn straight from CMS, no interpretations.
Complete guide to OASIS assessment time points — when each type is required, CMS timeframes, and the most common scheduling mistakes agencies make.
GG0130 and GG0170 drive PDGM payment. Exactly how to score them, what each level on the scale means, and the mistakes that cost agencies money.
Complete guide to home health supervisory visit requirements. Covers HHA 14-day rule, PTA/COTA 30-day reassessment, RN-LPN supervision, and 42 CFR 484.80.
OASIS-E2 replaces M0069 (gender) with A0810 (sex). What changed, what to code, and how it aligns with SNF/IRF data standards.
OASIS-E2 replaces A1250 with A1255 — new wording, new responses, 12-month lookback, no discharge collection. Two real scenarios scored end-to-end.
An intercepted fall is still a fall on OASIS-E2. The CMS definition, the scenarios that trip clinicians up, and exactly what to write so QA stops flagging.
Every OASIS-E2 change in plain English — new items, updated skip patterns, D0150 dash values, payment impact, and what to do differently starting April 2026.
Certification periods are the backbone of home health billing. Learn what the 60-day cert period is, why spreadsheets fail, and how to never miss a deadline.
A practical guide to OASIS assessments in home health. When to complete them, key sections, common errors, and scoring tips from a working clinician.
Medicare's 48-hour rule gives three deadlines for the initial home health visit. When the clock starts, who can open the case, and where agencies slip.
